Just asking about the extracurricular things for now.
So far I have:
Japanese Club
Speech and Debate
Volunteering with the BeGlobal foundation with Japanese transfer students
Golf in the spring
What I plan to have:
Poetry Club (I will be starting this)
HOSA
NHS
Volunteering at a hospital once I am old enough
Volunteering at a nursing home starting sometime soon
What I might have:
A research internship involving cancer
I have entered some poems to be published in reputable literary magazines (not sure what has happened with those yet)
What else should I do? I am a freshman, so I still have some time.
You need to be really active with healthcare related activities.
HOSA-- if your school does not have it then start the club
Volunteering-- you are planning to do that so that’s good. Try to get as many hours as you can and use those hours to apply for awards like the Barbara James Service Award (HOSA) or Presidential Service Award
Shadowing-- shadow doctor
Volunteer Abroad-- go to some country and volunteer for a couple of weeks
The BS/MD programs are looking for students who they know have a good chance of making it through medical school. As you probably know, a medical education + residency can be brutally tough. So they are looking for evidence of tenacity, raw intelligence, and that you’ll be a compassionate doctor. More importantly however they want to see that you really know what its like to be a doctor. So shadowing, volunteering are good ways.
The science and research related ECs can go along way, and provide support for your interest in medicine. I’m really not sure how much the Japanese club and poetry stuff will really help you in this regards. I’m not saying to stop these ECs, but have some sort of clear story that can be presented. If you can tie the Japanese and poetry into your interest in medicine, then it might be a refreshing story.
I don’t think all ECs have to be medical related. My son had little medical experiences and was accepted in BS/MD program. He did have multiple leadership roles, multiple volunteer experiences (non medical)–mission trips, volunteering at multiple organizations. His scores and GPA were high, and he feels he interviewed well and wrote good essays. He played two varsity sports as well. Also, I think letters of rec are more important than many realize. He did have some shadowing hours, but not the # of hours I see listed on this from some on this site. He didn’t know until his junior year that he wanted to be a doctor. I actually think that appealed to some interviewers because they knew it was his idea and not an idea put in his mind by parents. I think it varies from program to program. Certainly take the opportunities to shadow and do research because they will confirm to you if medicine is what you are called to do though!